Covid: Australia travel ban prevents woman's return from UK

Donna Lewis (R) flew from Australia to help her mother Doreen care for her seriously ill father

A woman who travelled to Britain from Australia to see her dying father says she is stuck in the UK.

Donna Lewis flew from Queensland to North Lincolnshire in February to help her mother with her father's care.

After he died in May, aged 88, she arranged return flights to Australia but these were cancelled when the country imposed new Covid restrictions.

Mrs Lewis said she had since been quoted £7,500 for a one-way ticket on a September flight.

Australia halved the number of international arrivals it would accept after Covid outbreaks put half the population in lockdown.

The country is only allowing 3,000 citizens a week to return to reduce pressure on its quarantine system.

• Melbourne enters snap lockdown with 18 cases

• Australia to halve arrivals to fight Delta strain

Mrs Lewis said she was "angry and disappointed" at the situation.

"I haven't seen my husband for five months, haven't seen my children for five months and there's no real saying when I will get back there," she said.

"I've been told it will be the beginning of September, but the flights and the price to get home in September are just extortionate."

About 37,000 Australians remain stranded overseas and measures are expected to last into next year until the country can get the majority of its population vaccinated. Just 8% have been vaccinated so far.

Mrs Lewis lives with her husband and two children on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland

Despite missing her husband and two children on the Sunshine Coast, Mrs Lewis said she had "no regrets" about her trip.

"My parents just couldn't cope any longer by themselves," she said.

"It was precious time I was able to tend to my Dad and really, really give him 24-hour care. We had some beautiful moments together."

The BBC has contacted the Australian High Commission in London for a response.